28 April Religion and Freethought News Report

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The Future of Religion Is Bleak

Prof. Daniel C. Dennett, co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University and co-author, with Linda LaScola, of Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind, explains why the future of religion is bleak.

Would You Vote for a Gay or Atheist President in 2016?

While Americans are more likely to vote for a gay candidate than an atheist, there has been an uptick in the percentage of those who say that their presidential choice’s faith plays no role in their decision.

Is Atheism Rampant in the Middle East?

Ahmed Harqan stunned television audiences all over Egypt and rest of the Arab Middle East, by claiming his non-belief in the existence of God and his profound disdain to religious scriptures and ideology.

“Atheism is Freedom” Why I Love Being an Atheist Even Though I Live in Iran

Absence of religion has helped me greatly, and I am sure there are others have a similar experience.

Marco Rubio Tells Iowa Christians the Wrong People Are in Charge of the Government

Americans turn on the news, the presidential candidate explains, observe that “evil is winning” in a foreign country, and feel helpless to do anything about it.

Many Republican Contenders Court Evangelical Primary Voters

Social conservatives worry about ‘dilution’ and an opening for more-centrist candidates in presidential race.

Gay Marriage Splits Ohio Religious Community

Amber Feldman and Elisa Abes, a Jewish lesbian couple who live in Pleasant Ridge, Ohio, are praying that the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the ban on same-sex marriage in Ohio and Kentucky, among other states.

Sign That Marriage License? Ancient Sacraments vs. Battles Over Civil Contracts

The following quotations are from two Southern Baptist leaders. One is a progressive position and the other conservative. Which is which?

Ukip Offers Legal Protection to Christians Who Oppose Same-Sex Marriage

Nigel Farage attempts to woo Christian voters by promising protection to those who want to object to gay marriage in the course of carrying out their jobs.

Religious Hypocrisy and Science Don’t Mix

Gov. Bobby Jindal, the Republican of Louisiana, has recently resurfaced in the national political realm, grasping at straws to stay relevant. Some speculate it’s a ploy for a potential presidential or vice-presidential run.

‘In God We Trust’ Motto To Be Installed On NC Government Buildings

A group known as the U.S. Motto Action Committee will pay to install the phrase on the Stokes County Courthouse.

Kentucky Judge Upholds Christian Printer’s Refusal to Print Gay Pride T-Shirts

The decision comes one day before Kentucky and three other states are set to argue at the US Supreme Court that state laws restricting marriage to one man and one woman should be upheld.

How Hindus and Buddhists View Nepal’s Devastating Earthquake

As they gather funds and supplies to send abroad to the earthquake’s victims, many Hindus and Buddhists are also turning to ancient rituals and prayers.

Big Oil to Pope Francis: We Know What’s Best for the World’s Poor

Unlike the usual discussions of climate change as an economic and scientific issue, Francis conveys it as a moral cause.

Conservative Pastors Slam Indiana Lawmakers Over Religion Law ‘Fix’

Republican Gov. Mike Pence and legislative leaders failed to protect religious liberties by approving a change to Indiana’s religious objections law, conservative religious leaders said.

Christian Bakers Blame Satan When Crowdfunding to Pay for Discrimination Fine Gets Shut Down

GoFundMe canceled the legally dubious fundraiser after it reached $110,000 in donations

Should Anti-Muslim Ads Appear on City Buses?

The American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) won a federal court battle this week against the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) in New York City.

White, Hispanic Catholics Disagree on Issue of Climate Change

Pope Francis is slated to address the U.N. General Assembly during his trip to the U.S. in September 2015. And the pope is also expected to release a lengthy edict on the environment.

Codex Gigas (The Devil’s Bible) – The Largest Manuscript in the World

According to legend, the medieval manuscript was made out of a pact with the ‘devil’, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the Devil’s Bible.

Chemical Analysis on Ancient Stone Bone Box Reignites Debate Over Alleged Family of Jesus

A weathered limestone box found in the 1970s and said to have contained the alleged bones of Jesus of Nazareth is at the heart of a decades-long argument.

Religion and the Politics of Fear

At the April 10-12 National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee, speaker Steve Tarani issued a dire warning that Muslim extremists have set up “Islamic no-go zones” in cities across America.

The Bible Is Not Great: Powerful New Book Shows Atheism in Compelling New Light, Exposing “Myths” of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Diligently researched and crafted by Soren Sagan, ‘The Bible Is Not Great: The Truth About The Bible, Religion And God’ cuts through the misconception that atheism is based on immorality.